Can a person's eyes change color? Why eye color changes

Almost every one of us thought about how we would look with a different eye color.

As crazy as it sounds, our eyes can change color.

But first, let's deal with the basics.

First, it is worth knowing that melanin in the iris gives the color to the eye. When exposed to bright light, the iris can expand, and contract in the dark, which regulates the size of the pupil.

When pupil size changes, the pigment in the iris also shrinks or diffuses, which can slightly change perceived eye color.

But this is not the only reason why your eyes may change color. Here are a few more factors that can make your eyes appear lighter or darker.

How to change eye color

1. Age

Children are usually born with blue or gray eyes. However, with age, many children's eyes become darker. This is due to the fact that eye color is determined by genes and the level of melanin in the body.

As you age, the amount of melanin around the pupil increases, making your eyes darker. However, in about 10-15 percent of Caucasians, eyes become lighter with age as the amount of pigment in the iris decreases or changes.

2. Exposure to the sun

Melanin production is also affected by exposure to sunlight. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can make your eyes darken.

3. Emotions

Certain emotions change the size of the pupils and the color of the iris.

When you are happy, angry, or sad, your body releases a hormone that changes the size of your pupils.

When you are happy or angry, your eye color may become clearer, and when you cry, your eyes take on a reddish tint, which makes them appear brighter.

Is it possible to change eye color

4. Clothes and makeup

Dark-colored clothing, as well as colored eye makeup or white eyeliner, make the eye color brighter.

While it's just a matter of perception and your eyes don't change color, they definitely start to stand out and look different than usual.

5. Your nutrition

They say that we are what we eat, and this phrase is quite applicable to our eyes. The type of food we are used to can affect the color of our eyes.

Here are a few foods that can change the color of your eyes if you eat them often:

Spinach: This iron rich product helps keep eyes youthful and bright.

Honey: Regular consumption of honey gives the eyes a light shade and brightness.

A fish: Eating fish enhances eye color and, depending on the frequency of intake, may cause permanent changes.

Olive oil: Many people think that olive oil may change the color of the eyes with regular consumption.

Onion: If you are very fond of onions, the color of your eyes, as well as skin tone, may change over time.

nuts: Add various nuts to your diet and your eye color will become lighter. However, it is worth remembering that roasted nuts do not affect eye color, as some nutrients are destroyed at high temperatures.

Chamomile tea: With regular consumption of chamomile tea, the eyes relax and the size of the pupils changes, which can make the eyes appear warmer.

6. Your health

Eye color can also change and take on a yellowish or greenish tint when you are unwell or suffering from eye conditions such as.

Amazing Phenomenon chameleon eye- one of the most striking examples of the diversity of human nature. changes depending on the change of mood, make-up applied to the face, changes in the weather outside, lighting.

This phenomenon is very rare and very strongly distinguishes a person from the rest, makes him special to some extent. In medicine, the nature of this phenomenon is not known for certain. However, there are several highly plausible hypotheses and many facts related to chameleon eyes.

Why do eyes change color on their own?

There are several scientifically proven factors that affect the change in eye color in humans.

The first thing that a person with chameleon eyes needs to understand is that this is a normal phenomenon. This property of human eyes does not speak of diseases or disorders.

This is just an amazing pathology, named after an animal with the unique ability to change its color depending on the need and environmental changes.

The work of the nervous and endocrine systems

As mentioned above, the nature of the eyes of chameleons, although not fully understood, is explained by some facts and hypotheses.

One of the most popular theories is a very plausible version of the connection between the eyes of chameleons and the peculiarities of the work of the nervous and endocrine systems human body.

It has several good reasons:

Based on the above theses, we can say that the version of the connection between the eyes of chameleons and the work of the nervous and endocrine systems is very plausible.

Ambient conditions

Environmental conditions are a factor that affects the human body in any situation.

In most cases, the dependence of the color of the eyes of chameleons on natural conditions is as follows:

In any case, the color of the eyes of chameleons is incredibly dependent on the mood of the person. External factors affect mood and consequently affect the color of a person's eyes.

If, for example, the weather is pleasant for a person, then regardless of whether it is hot or cold outside, the color of his pupils will be bright. If the person does not like the weather, then the eyes will become very cloudy.

Emotions

Emotions- This is the most important of the factors affecting the color of the eyes of chameleons. The eyes of some people can change the entire spectrum of the rainbow, depending only on what emotions they experience, whether the person is happy or sad.

They can only change their shade (for example, change from gray-blue to bright blue), but even from this shade you can understand what kind of mood a person with chameleon eyes is in now.

In most cases, the owners of chameleon eyes (especially those whose pupil color changes sharply and often) are very quick-tempered and impulsive people who often do it first, and only then think about the consequences.

For the most part, these people:

make decisions quickly;
not inclined to think about the problem for a long time;
like to stand out by their actions;
very predictable in their actions;
like to colorfully express their emotions;
not too shy.

You can really say about these people that they are an open book. And learning to read this book is quite simple, you just need to follow the color change. Such people do not like to pretend, and they do not really know how. They do not need it, they prefer honesty and openness, sincere emotions.

growing up

Due to the fact that over time the character of a person, his habits, preferences change, the peculiarity of the eyes of chameleons also undergoes changes.

Also, a lot depends on the pigment of the iris, which becomes more over time:

Diseases

Although chameleon eyes are in most cases an absolutely normal phenomenon for the human body, there are moments that should be feared.

It should be especially alarming for people whose chameleon eyes are not an innate feature, but appeared very abruptly at some point in their lives. In these people, eye color changes regardless of mood, but in a completely random sequence.

This phenomenon can be a symptom of any of several serious diseases:

melanoma of the iris;
inflammation of the iris of the eye;
leukemia;
any other disease associated with problems in the functioning of the iris of the human eye.

The above list is quite frightening, so it is imperative to visit an ophthalmologist in case your eyes suddenly begin to change their color.

How does the color of the eyes of people "chameleons" change?

In most cases, the eye color of chameleon people changes depending on their mood. This feature is very desirable for girls, who, thanks to what they have, can always create new external images for themselves, reincarnating with enviable simplicity.

However, you need to understand that changing eye color has some properties:

This is an uncontrolled process, and eye color is quite difficult to predict at various points in life.
Color can change gradually, and even react to the most vivid emotions only with changes in hue. Again, it cannot be controlled.
A dramatic change in eye color (for example, from blue to green) is a rare phenomenon that cannot pass quickly and takes several days.

The type of character and the meaning of changing eye color in people

In people with chameleon eyes, the process of changing eye color is very dependent on character. For each person, it is significantly different.

There are special differences between men and women, whose different eye color can mean completely opposite emotions and character traits.

The meaning of the eyes of girls

In ancient times, girls with chameleon eyes were branded witches without an alternative. They were very cruelly persecuted, attributing unprecedented magical abilities.

Nowadays, superstitions, although not so common, still greatly influence the perception of many people. Those who treat the world with great pragmatism see in the eyes of the chameleons a reflection of the character of the girl.

In most cases, girls with chameleon eyes are characterized as:

indecisive;
spontaneous;
illogical in actions;
those that easily adapt to any circumstances;
quite successful;
those who rarely achieve their goals;
open and sincere.

The meaning of the eyes in men

Men with color-changing eyes are quite popular with women.

They are unusual and attractive to the weaker sex, but by nature they are rather ambiguous:

easily overcome difficulties;
seldom finish the job;
often impulsive in their actions;
do not hide their emotions well;
able to get out of even the most difficult situation;
they like risk even if it is absolutely unjustified.

What makeup and hair color will suit such girls?

The main question that interests the female half of people endowed with chameleon eyes is a suitable make-up. There is almost no advice from professionals in the style world for such cases. Dealing with this on your own is quite difficult.

Best Tips:

In the case of chameleon eyes in girls, the recommendation is to use not too bright, not aggressive tones that will not look wild in the case of any possible eye color.
Makeup should be as light and soft as possible.
Hair color should be as natural as possible.
The shadows should also have a soft tint.

Only in this case, you can not be afraid that a sharp change in eye color will completely ruin the image at the most inopportune moment. Less bright colors, more tenderness, more naturalness.

The iris in a number of people changes color throughout life. Eyes change color under the influence of certain factors. It could be climate change infectious diseases or taking certain medicines. The change in eye color in infants is considered the norm. This phenomenon is explained by the increase in melanin under the influence of sunlight. If the tone of the iris has changed for no apparent reason, you should see a doctor.

Can eyes change color

In some people, the iris has an interesting ability to change its color depending on a number of factors and the emotional state of the person. For example, brown eyes may be slightly yellowish, while gray eyes may become bluish.

Such changes in the color of the iris are not classified as ophthalmic diseases. In this case, we are talking about chameleon eyes. A similar phenomenon has not yet been fully studied, but experts explain it by the peculiarities of the functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems.

But we must not forget that the iris can change even with dangerous ailments. In this case, the shade of the iris becomes almost black, or vice versa, it turns white.

In ancient times, people whose eye color could change were feared. They were credited with the ability to witchcraft or magic.

Features of the phenomenon

Today, a change in eye color in an adult is not considered something out of the ordinary, but still attracts attention. Such eyes are called chameleons, as there is a similarity with the animal of the same name.

Eye color is recognized by the iris. It includes 5 different layers and each of them is colored differently with a coloring pigment. If there is more such pigment in the upper layer, then the eyes are brownish in color. If there is more coloring matter in the lower layers, then blue.

With chameleon eyes, the tone of the iris varies in different ranges. In this case, only the shade can change. The iris may darken or lighten somewhat depending on mood, humidity, clothing, weather, or health. In such a person, with joy, brown eyes can become amber, and if before that the iris was blue, then it may darken somewhat at a time when the person is angry. Only close people notice such unusual changes. If you show observation, then it is by the color of the iris that you can easily get ahead of what mood a person has.

Hue can change not only both eyes at once, but also one. This phenomenon is reversible. The change in shade occurs under the influence of certain factors - mood, lighting, weather and well-being.

The color of some eyes is difficult to accurately determine. This includes marsh and olive hue. In such people, the outer edge of the iris may be darker than the inner, and vice versa.

Green eyes often change shade under the influence of lighting and other factors.

Causes in childhood

Most newborns are born with blue eyes, but from about three months the color of the iris begins to change. This is due to the fact that when a baby is born, he has very little melanin in the iris, but gradually the volume of the coloring matter increases. The shade of the iris in infants begins to change at the end of the first month of life. The cloudy veil disappears, due to which the gaze becomes clearer.

In most cases, by the age of six months, you can understand what color the child will have. But in some cases, a permanent eye color is observed only by the year. And there are also children in whom the iris constantly changes shade up to 5-7 years.

Several factors influence the final color of the iris:

Geneticists have even developed a special plate that helps to determine the shade of the iris in a newborn with a high probability.

The smallest number of people with green eyes, they are approximately 2% of the total population of the earth.

Causes in adults

In adults, the color of the iris may change with age in the presence of ophthalmic and systemic pathologies. Usually there is a gradual change in the shade of the iris. The main diseases in which there is a change in color are:

Some antiglaucoma drops can also lead to a change in the shade of the iris. In certain cases, this condition is irreversible.

When to See a Doctor

In some cases, it is necessary to see a doctor, as a change in the iris may be associated with serious ophthalmic diseases. The following symptoms should be alert:

blurred vision, decreased visual acuity;
pain in the eyeballs;
feeling of increased eye pressure;
change in the shade of the iris;
pupil color change. If the pupil has become grayish, it is necessary to see a doctor as soon as possible;
mucosal injury, after which cloudy areas appear on the iris.

Do not postpone a visit to the doctor in case of contact with the mucous membrane of caustic chemicals. Under the influence of such components, there can be serious injuries that will lead not only to a change in the shade of the iris, but also to a significant deterioration in vision.

It is especially necessary to carefully monitor the visual organs of children who are just developing and are sensitive to any negative factors.

In infants, the shade of the eyes changes mainly up to a year. Already at this time, you can understand whether the child will be blue-eyed or brown-eyed. If the color of the iris changes in older people, then they talk about chameleon eyes.

The color of the eyes, skin and hair depends on the content of the dye in them. melanin. If it is produced little, then the eyes are blue, the hair is light, the skin is white. If there is a lot of melanin, then the eyes are brown, the hair is black, the skin is dark.

Change in eye color with age

Our newborns usually have blue eyes.(and the skin and hair are light). This is due to the fact that melanin is produced to a minimum before birth - after all, it is needed not for beauty, but for protection from the ultraviolet rays of the Sun, which, thank God, are not in the mother’s stomach.

By about six months the iris acquires any color due to the gradual accumulation of melanin.

In childhood the iris gradually becomes thicker (the eyes darken).

In adults pigmented (darker) spots, analogues of skin freckles, may appear in the iris.

To old age the production of melanin is gradually disturbed: the hair turns gray, the dark iris becomes lighter. Light eyes in old age, on the contrary, darken a little due to compaction and a decrease in the transparency of the iris.

Change in eye color during the day

Depends on different lighting and contrast: the same object on a different background and in different lighting seems to us a different color.

Depends on the color perception of different people. Distinguishing blue and green from each other is not so easy. Try to find some aquamarine or turquoise device and pester people with the question of whether it is blue or green - get 50/50 (in some languages, blue and green are denoted by the same word).

Depends on pupil width(in bright light, the pupils are constricted, and in the dark [as well as with excitement, rage] - dilated).

With a narrow pupil, the entire iris is visible, and with a wide one, only part of it (the color of the iris is uneven, you can check for yourself).

The wider the black pupil, the brighter the surrounding iris appears (this is the “different background” from the first paragraph).

With the expansion-contraction of the iris, the thickness of the anterior pigment layer may change (for details, see the article

The human iris is as unique as a fingerprint. In addition, the iris is a very important structure of the eye in terms of functionality and aesthetics. As a result of external influences and internal processes in the body, eye color may change. Sometimes the reason for this is a serious pathology.

Can eyes change color? How does is called?

In some people, the eyes have a unique ability to change their color, for example, from hazel to green, depending on external factors and internal state. This happens most often due to the unique pattern on the iris. Such changes do not indicate ophthalmic pathology. The eyes of such people are called "chameleons".

This is a very unusual phenomenon that has not been thoroughly studied by scientists and is associated mainly with the functioning of the central nervous system and endocrine. However, a change in eye color can be pathological when the iris becomes completely black or, on the contrary, turns white. These symptoms are indicative of serious illnesses. Consider the causes of eye color changes in children and adults and find out in which cases it is necessary to see a doctor.

Why do eyes change color in childhood?

The eyes begin to change their color immediately after the birth of a person. This process is natural. In the first days after birth, a baby's eyes are usually cloudy gray or light green. After six months, the shade changes. The body accumulates melanin, which is responsible for the color of the iris. She becomes darker.

By about one year of age, the eyes acquire the color laid down by the genes. In this case, the final shade of the iris is formed by 5-10 years.

Throughout this life span, melanin continues to accumulate and influence the intensity of eye color.

Three factors influence eye color:

The amount of pigment (melanin). At birth, it is absent from the iris and begins to be produced after a few days. The shade of the iris depends on its quantity: the more melanin, the darker the color of the eyes.
Racial signs. The color of skin, hair, eyes directly depends on what race a person belongs to.
Genetics. Genes play a significant role in what kind of eyes a child will have, but it is impossible to 100% predict eye color using genetics. There are only approximate data that parents can be guided by. So, for example, the probability that a light-eyed mom and dad will have a baby with bright eyes is 75%. If one of the parents has dark eyes, chances are their child will have brown eyes.

Scientists have created a special table that allows parents to determine what color eyes their child will have. With its help, you can predict how the original color changes by the age of one. Gray eyes at birth can change their color from light to dark, Blue eyes a newborn may darken a little and become a beautiful heavenly shade or lighter. Green eyes at birth become light brown or bluish-green. If the child's eyes are genetically brown, then the baby will be born with a dark gray iris.

Why do eyes change color as adults?

It is conditionally possible to distinguish two groups of reasons that lead to a change in eye color in adulthood:

External.
Internal (physiological).

External factors include weather conditions, changes in light levels and temperature, clothing color, environment. Moreover, the lighter the eyes, the greater their ability to color fluctuations. An object reflected from the eyes leads to an external change in its shade. However, all these reasons are relative, and the result of their influence on the eyes is almost imperceptible.

Physiological factors can be divided into natural, which do not pose a danger to human health, and pathological. The first ones include:

Emotions. Eyes change color with mood. Stress, joy, anger can lead to a change in the shade of the iris. Scientists attribute this process to the hormonal background.
Tears. When a person cries, the shade of the iris becomes more saturated. Protein, receiving excess moisture, seems even lighter and sets off the color of the iris.

All these reasons are not associated with diseases. There are several diseases that manifest themselves in a change in the shade of the iris. All of them are very dangerous and require long-term treatment. Let's take a closer look at their symptoms.

Eyes change color: what is the name of the disease?

Let us analyze in more detail the symptoms of each pathologyaccompanied by a change in eye color. You will be able to distinguish the pathological process from the natural one and consult a doctor in time. So, the diseases leading to a change in the color of the iris include:

1. Dahlen-Fuchs syndrome. It is also called chronic nongranulomatous uveitis. It is a degenerative process that predominantly affects one eye, but may also affect the other. The symptoms of the syndrome are as follows:

clouding of the lens, which occurs due to changes in the composition of the fluid in the eye;
the iris brightens on the outside due to its thinning, as a result of which the affected eye becomes darker than the healthy one (iris lacunae
expand - the pigment begins to shine through them);
lack of creeps (drawings) of the iris.

This is part of the symptoms that relate to eye color. At the same time, some signs of the disease may disappear for a while, and therefore it is difficult to diagnose. Fuchs syndrome almost always leads to secondary glaucoma or cataracts with all their symptoms. In any case, the syndrome is accompanied by heterochromia - a different eye color (one is duller, and the color of the other is more intense).

2. Posner-Schlossmann Syndrome (glaucoma-cyclitic crisis) is a type of uveitis that affects the condition of the iris. The syndrome is manifested by pain, blurred vision, a feeling of heaviness in the eyes, photophobia and the appearance of multi-colored circles. This pathology is not accompanied by a decrease in vision. As for the state of the iris, it noticeably darkens. In addition, mydriasis of the pupil of the affected eye is observed.

3. Horner's syndrome is a disease associated with damage to the nervous system. Most often, pathology manifests itself in the eyes. The pupil of the diseased eye reacts slowly to changes in light levels. It does not adapt to external conditions and is almost always narrowed. The patient has heterochromia, especially if the disease develops in a child. The easiest way to diagnose the disease is by drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis). Also with this syndrome sinks eyeball, and sweating (dyshidrosis) is disturbed on the affected part of the face.

4. Pigmentary glaucoma is an ophthalmic disease in which pigment separates from the back surface of the iris and enters other structures of the eye. The main difference between pigmentary glaucoma and its other forms is the depigmentation of the iris: melanin is washed out of the cells of the surface layer of the iris and enters the anterior chamber. In a person with pigmentary glaucoma, part of the protein coat becomes the color of the iris. Other symptoms of pathology:

swelling of the cornea;
floating circles, "flies" before the eyes;
blurred vision;
reduced ability to see clearly at different distances;
sharp jumps in intraocular pressure.

5. Melanoma of the iris - malignant tumor which is often dark brown in color. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of a brown mushroom-shaped bump in the anterior chamber of the eye. The borders of the iris become fuzzy, they seem to be smeared, the cornea becomes cloudy. The patient complains of blurred vision, flashes before the eyes, narrowing of the visual fields. There is usually no pain in the eye. All of these features are characteristic of initial stage diseases. Late symptoms include:

weight loss;
rapid pulse;
fast fatiguability.

6. Lymphoma is another malignant disease, the symptoms of which are reflected in the shade of the iris. With lymphoma of the eye, the area inside the visual organ is affected, which leads to a decrease in visual acuity. The color of the iris also changes. She becomes dimmer. However, the disease can behave differently in each case.

All of these pathologies are quite rare. This makes them harder to diagnose.

Eyes began to change color: what to do?

So, the eyes change color from mood, under the influence of external circumstances and due to illness. What should a person do if he finds that his eyes began to change color? If earlier your iris retained its shade regardless of external conditions and other reasons, then you should contact an ophthalmologist.

Changing the shade of the iris in children is a natural process. It should cause alarm if the eyes change color unevenly or the shade of only one eye has changed, that is, heterochromia is observed.